California Dreams and Realities

Rawls maintains that ôopportunity and successö represent the ôpromises at the heart of the California Dreamö (Maasik et al. 1999, 8). From the days of the Gold Rush in the late 19th century to the wave of mid-West immigration in the 1930s to recent times, California has often represented the land of ômilk and honeyö to those seeking opportunity and success. However, far more often than not, many individuals have encountered a different reality in California than the glitter and glamour embodied in

. . .
s elements of political and business intrigue similar to those illustrated in Chinatown. In discussing the plans of bureaucrats to deal with the drainage issues, Reisner claims ôIt is more accurate to say that their reports have talked about it, while the officials, whose main concern was building more dams to satisfy the demands of the irrigators, ignored the need for drainageö (Maasik et al. 1999, 199). Overcrowding, water pollution, and other environmental issues continue to dull the glitter of the California Dream. Many are also lured to California by the promise of free education in the stateÆs University of California and California State University colleges and community colleges. However, once more we see that such promises are meted out on criteria that often benefit some while neglecting others. Brown maintains that the UC system has become one that favors the wealthy, primarily because of the use of zip codes as a means of enrollment. As Brown argues, ôA look at who is admitted to the prestigious University of California campuses shows that ZIP codes may be as critical as grade point averages in determining who gets in and who stays outö (Maasik et al. 142). Those from the inner-cities who graduate in the top 1
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
California Dream, Silicon Valley, University California, Joaquin Valley, Americans Dreams, Los Angeles, california dream, Gold Rush, California University, Department Health, California Ling-Ling, et al, maasik et al, maasik et, et al 1999, al 1999, silicon valley, american dream, opportunity success, film industry, industry california, los angeles, industry california dream, industry silicon valley, promise california dream,
Approximate Word count = 2001
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

More Essays on California Dreams and Realities